Porsche 918 Spyder plug-in hybrid drive debuts in Frankfurt

Porsche has debuted the long-awaited production model of its 918 Spyder at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA). Billed as the "genetic blueprint for the Porsche sports car of the future," the plug-in hybrid super sports car is designed to strike a balance between performance and efficiency, boasting acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph despite miserly fuel consumption estimated at 3 liters per 100 km (0.8 gallons per 62 miles).

Porsche pulled the engine design from its Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) race car, the RS Spyder. This 4.6 liter V8, when combined with the two electric motors on board, puts out over 880 bhp.

The production version of the 918 Spyder remains faithful to the concept model originally unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2010, with the exception of some tweaks like the exhaust exit being placed on the top rear of the car instead of on the side.

And just to show that it deserves the moniker of super sports car, the 918 Spyder smashed the record for a street-legal automobile at the Nurburgring Nordschleife ahead of its Frankfurt debut. The hybrid 918 took six minutes and 57 seconds to complete the circuit, beating the previous record by 14 seconds.

The 918 Spyder hybrid is expected to go on sale in the US next year with prices starting at US$845,000.

See our previous coverage for more details on the revolutionary 918 plug-in hybrid system.